A former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has filed a lawsuit against prominent activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju. The suit, lodged before the High Court of Anambra State, Onitsha Judicial Division, on October 3, 2025, seeks a staggering ₦1.5 billion in damages for what Obi describes as “false, baseless, unfounded, malicious, reckless, scandalous, and defamatory” statements made by Adeyanju on social media.
The suit, marked No. 0/245/2025, was filed on October 3, 2025, before the High Court of Anambra State, Onitsha Judicial Division. The writ of summons, which was served on Adeyanju at his Abuja residence, directs him to enter an appearance within 42 days or risk judgment in default. Obi’s legal team, led by Alex Ejesieme, SAN, of Alex Ejesieme, SAN & Co. in Awka, alleges that Adeyanju repeatedly described the plaintiff with derogatory terms such as “leader of a mob,” “religious bigot,” “fraud,” “scum,” “political fraud,” and “political prostitute.”
These statements, allegedly disseminated across Adeyanju’s X (formerly Twitter) handle @adeyanjudeji, verified Facebook account “Adeyanju Deji,” and Instagram handle @AdeyanjuDeji, are said to have caused severe harm to Obi’s personal, political, and professional reputation.
Among the reliefs sought in the nine-point claim are:
The case marks the culmination of a long-running feud that dates back to at least 2022, escalating in August 2025 when Obi’s lawyers issued a pre-action notice demanding that Adeyanju retract alleged defamatory statements or face legal action. At the time, Adeyanju dismissed the threat, claiming Obi had offered him money during the 2023 general election campaign, which he allegedly declined, vowing to “do his worst” if sued.
On October 15, 2025, Adeyanju took to X to acknowledge the suit, sharing scanned copies of the court documents. In a post that garnered over 1,600 likes and thousands of views, he wrote:
“Finally, Peter Obi has sued me. I am actually happy and relieved that he didn’t chicken out in the end. Interestingly, he dragged me all the way to Anambra State, even though he is almost always in Abuja where I reside. But no shaking — we move. I will prove in court that Peter Obi is corrupt, a bigot, and a fraud. You will all be entertained, I promise.”
... included images of the writ, showing the suit number (partially redacted as 25A/2025) and the specific orders sought.
Obi has built a reputation as a fiscal conservative and anti-corruption advocate since his tenure as governor from 2006 to 2014 and his vice-presidential bid in 2019. Adeyanju, a vocal critic of politicians across party lines and convener of the Concerned Nigerians group, has frequently clashed with Obi’s supporters, accusing them of hypocrisy and bias in his online commentaries.